Navigate the interface

The Service Builder user interface (UI) consists of the following windows and menu options.

Service Builder Home window

From the Service Builder Home window, you can search for and manage existing service templates and plug-ins and create and edit new ones.

The Service Builder Home window shows the service templates that were already created (Released) or those that are currently being worked on (Developing). From here, you can quickly access relevant details on a selected service template, perform management functions (view, copy, edit, delete, import, and export), and create new templates. It is also from the Service Builder Home window that you access the options available for working with and creating custom plug-ins that serve as the individual building blocks on which the functions of the service templates are built.

The text search box enables you to search for a service template or you can complete a search on the tag grouping with which the service template is associated. You have the option of showing the service templates using the Card View or Table View.

To sort the service template list, select Sort By, and choose one of the following options:

Name
Vendor Name
Version
Description
Service Template Key Name
Vendor ID
Registered
Updated
Latest Version

Managing and creating service templates

In many cases, you can use one of the existing service templates with some modification to complete the tasks required for your site. If you cannot use any of the standard service templates with modifications, you can create a new one.

The following commands are provided for managing and creating service templates:

Import: Imports one of the existing service templates that is not automatically installed or one that was created and saved on another system.
Create: Creates a new service template which can include the properties, commands, and scripts for your site.
Edit: Enables editing on the selected service template.
View: Shows details for the selected service template.
Copy and Edit: Copies the selected service template and then makes the new copy available for editing.
Service Details: Shows all relevant details for the selected service template.
More Actions: The following actions are available:
- Export: Exports the contents of the selected service template to a file.
- Delete: Deletes the selected service template.

Managing and creating plug-ins

You manage and create plug-ins by choosing the options from the Custom Plug-in Actions menu:

Create: Creates a new plug-in.
Edit: Modifies an existing plug-in that is in the Developing state.
Copy: Copies an existing plug-in that is in the Released or Developing state.
Delete: Deletes a plug-in that is in the Released or Developing state.

Service Builder Edit window

From the Service Builder Edit window you can edit templates, where you can select the required plug-ins (or other service templates) and place them in a flow where the logic and values required to complete a task are supplied through input and output properties.

By clicking the associated tab, you can view and edit details and property settings for a service template:

The General Tab shows general details on the selected service template. By clicking Edit, you can edit and customize the service template.
The Property Tab shows the input and output properties associated with the service template.

By clicking the Add menu, you have the following options for the service template:

Property Group: Adds new property groups to categorize various types of properties.
Input Property: Creates and edits new input properties for the service template.
Output Property: Creates and edits output properties for the service template.
Variable: Creates a new variable.
Service Share Property: Gives access to a collection of commonly used service share properties.

From the Preview menu, you can generate a preview that simulates how a property is processed for a mode of execution (from the Create Service window, Create Request window, or Task Details window) when a service is run.

The More Actions menu has the following additional options:

Set Visibility: Controls whether the settings are visible when a user runs a service template.
Set Display Settings: Specifies the following display settings:
- Editable: Allows the display settings to be edited.
- Read only: Sets the display settings to read-only.
- Display: Shows the display settings.
- Hide: Hides the display settings.
Flow tab: Gives the following windows:
- The window on the left shows the available components (Released Plug-in, Developing Plug-in, and Service) that you can to flow of the service template.
- The upper right window shows the plug-ins and service templates associated with the currently selected service template.
- The lower right window shows the input and output properties available for the selected component step and general details for the step.
  - General: Gives general details on the currently selected component (plug-in step) and enables you to edit this information. Any Next Step Condition associated with the selected step is also shown.
  - Property: Shows the input and output properties associated with the selected component, which you can edit.
  - Next Steps: Allows the creation of conditional branches that affect how the next step in the flow runs.
- The Flow Tree window shows a structured view of the component steps that are currently added to the service template.

Note: By clicking the airplane icon (in the upper right of the Service Builder Edit window, when the Flow tab is selected), you can start a tour of the general process of creating a service template. You can also access an overview of steps in the flow by clicking the Mini Map icon in the upper right of the flow window.

Additional commands at the top of the window provide the following:

Close: Returns to the Home window.
Save: Saves the service template in its current state.
Debug: Builds the service template and gives access to the debugger interface used to run through the tasks and simulate the results to make sure everything is functioning properly.
Release : Releases the debugged version of the service template where it can then be submitted as a service by a user through the main Ops Center Automator user interface.
Actions: Gives access to Component Version Management where you can manage component versions.

Service Builder Debug window

From the Service Builder Debug window you can verify the flow and debug a service template.

The upper center pane shows the flow in which the plug-ins (or other service templates) run and the lower pane shows details depending on which of the following tabs you click:

Task Log: Shows a log of completed tasks that can be downloaded (Download) and updated on command (Refresh) or automatically (Refresh Automatically) on a regular basis.
Service Properties: Shows the input and output properties defined for the service template.
Break Points: Shows all of the breakpoints set for the current debugging session.

The pane on the far right shows a hierarchical view of the task steps and the pane on the far left shows the debug controls.

About the idle timeout

If you log in with Ops Center credentials, and use the UI after the configured idle timeout period has elapsed, you see a session expired error message and have to log in again.

Therefore, when the idle timeout is enabled (Auto-refresh setting in Ops Center Common Services is disabled and the client.editor.sso.timeout.disable property value is false), save the data appropriately before the idle timeout occurs in Service Builder. Note that you can avoid the idle timeout in Service Builder by setting the client.editor.sso.timeout.disable property value to true. See "Changing the system configuration" in the Hitachi Ops Center Automator Installation and Configuration Guide for details.

For details about the idle timeout settings, see the Hitachi Ops Center Online Help.